Glen Scotia has revealed the second expression in its Icons of Campbeltown collection, which was unveiled last year in homage to the rich heritage of the town the distillery calls home.
Icons of Campbeltown: Release No.2 is part of a five-part limited-edition annual series that has been inspired by etchings found on the town’s famous Market Cross, a significant and historic meeting point for community get-togethers and storytelling.
The 14th-century cross is awash with stone carvings, created by unknown hands, including saints, beasts, heroes and their foes, all of which are said to capture tales of Campbeltown’s past.
Each placement tells a fascinating story of the prevailing spirit of the place affectionately known as the ‘wee toon’.
Amongst the etchings is a visualisation of Saint Michael – the Archangel associated with courage and protection – who, backed by an army of supporters, heroically slayed a fire-breathing dragon with his spear.
This legend remains confined to the history books but draws similarities to real events which have occurred in Campbeltown during its illustrious past, with many fires recorded at one of the hundreds of distilleries that gave the town its name of ‘Victorian Whisky Capital of the World’.
These fires devastated once-thriving whisky operations, much like the impact of a fire-breathing dragon, but it was the spirit of the Campbeltown community which saw the town thrive and Release No. 2 pays homage to this.
The 14 Year Old medium-peated single malt (56.8% ABV, £98) has been produced by master blender, Michael Henry.
Laid down in American oak, Michael decided upon a six-month finish in Barolo red wine casks, resulting in a decadently smoky liquid, complemented by red candied fruits and berries, followed by a long, dry finish. There is a subtle maritime salinity throughout - Glen Scotia’s signature style.
Glen Scotia has collaborated with illustrator Joel Holtzman, who has worked on several characters for LucasFilm, Marvel and Disney, to create a series of new pack designs for the Icons collection.
Packaging combines fiery tones of amber, orange and yellow which complement the rich liquid colour and transport audiences into a vivid scene of the dragon climbing the market cross.
Michael Henry, master blender at Loch Lomond Group, owners of Glen Scotia, said: “The Icons of Campbeltown collection provides rich inspiration for our choice of liquid with each release.
“The coastal character and full-bodied mouthfeel are part of Glen Scotia’s signature character. We have chosen to finish in Barolo Red Wine casks bringing delicious red berry fruits to complement Glen Scotia’s distillery character. The swirling smoke and rich red colour are evocative of the fire-breathing dragon slayed by Saint Michael on the Campbeltown Cross.”
Iain McAlister, distillery manager and master distiller at Glen Scotia, added: “Hard times have a way of pulling our distilling community together, much like on December 17th 1899, when Glen Scotia, along with heroic townspeople, fought a fierce blaze at Dalintober distillery and saved it from an early fate.
“You will find no living saints or dragon slayers in the town now, just a wonderful community that endures against the odds by its prevailing spirit of unity, and this is what our latest Icons of Campbeltown release celebrates.”
Icons of Campbeltown: Release No.2 is now available from the Glen Scotia website and select specialist retailers in the UK, USA, Europe, Australia, Canada, Asia, China and EMEA (Middle East/South Africa).
